The San Francisco Giants are experiencing a change of scenery and facing a new era for their franchise. They will not be in contention for quite some time and the departures of both Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy and postseason hero Madison Bumgarner signify the end of their reign for good. However, former Dodgers front office member Farhan Zaidi will look to get them back on track as their new general manager.
This offseason, there was a lot of banter regarding Madison Bumgarner and a potential signing with the Dodgers. It never seemed to be a likely outcome, but it was still an intriguing proposition. Would Bumgarner have fit in with the Dodgers culture after so many years of animosity between him and the Dodgers? We will never know. Bumgarner signed a deal with another NL West club, the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was rumored to be receiving a deal upwards of $100 million in value, but he ended up with Arizona on a five-year, $85 million deal.
In a recent interview with former Giants manager Bruce Bochy, the idea of Bumgarner to Los Angeles was discussed on MLB Network Radio. Apparently, Bochy is a bit surprised by where Bumgarner landed.
Bruce Bochy thought Madison Bumgarner could go to another NL West team… but not the #Dbacks#RattleOn | #SFGiants | #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/yTPqPiaCww
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 19, 2019
Bochy on Bumgarner to the Snakes
Bochy spent a lot of time with Madison Bumgarner and described Bumgarner’s love for the state of Arizona and the area outside of Phoenix. He believes that is ultimately why he signed with the Diamondbacks instead of the Dodgers.
“He has always had an affinity for Arizona. I had never thought about it, but when I talked to him before this deal happened, he didn’t mention them. I thought the Dodgers would be the ones to go after him hard, but it worked out for him. It’s just different seeing him in that uniform.”
Overall
At the end of the day, the Dodgers avoided controversy and potentially a bullet. With AJ Pollock’s five-year deal shaping up to look like a poor one, the Dodgers simply couldn’t afford another five-year deal for a player on the downside of his career. Bumgarner belongs as the hated one — that is the story that was written and the script has not been finished.
